2012 is the year to be a difference maker for all of us. We have a lot of opportunity to make things better for our customers and better engage our teams. Here are some tips to make a deep impact this year:

Embrace The Kaizen Spirit: Masaaki Imai says “The Kaizen spirit encourages thinking about how to change, rather than why it can’t be done.” Don’t let the excuses (even really good ones) hold you back from looking to find a way to make a difference. As Mark Graban suggested recently, let the identified barriers become your first problem statement.

See How Your Role Makes A Difference: Seek to discover how your role directly makes things better for customers or how it supports those that interact with them. Also consider what you can do to make a difference with the people on your team by being a better listener, encourager, or other things that help people make improvements.

Be Approachable: If people avoid talking with you, you can’t make a difference because you will not understand the current situation. Being inclusive allows you to build trust and begin to help influence positive changes.

I am sure many of my readers are already making huge impacts on people’s lives and in the organizations they work with. What other suggestions do you have for people to be a difference maker this year?